robinson



(No Model.) 2 sheets sheet I.

s. W. ROBI- N-SON. MACHINE FOR- UNITING THE UPPE-RS'AND SOLES 0F BOOTS 0R SHOES.

No. 297.718. -Pa te ntd Apr 19,1884,

Wih' 155 E.

N. PETERS, mum w. Wuhlnqhn. m:

(No Model.)

. I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2; v vs. w. ROBINSON. v MACHINE FOR UNITING THBIIPPERS AND SOLES 0P BOOTS OR- SHOES;

-N-o 297,718.- Patented A r. 29, 1884;

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chines for Uniting the Uppers and Soles of into the soles and uppers of boots or shoes more prominent ribs or threadsof the strip or NlTED STATES STILLMAN W. ROBINSON, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ORLANDO E. LEWIS,

OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR UNITING THE UPPERS AND SOLES OF BOOTS OR SHOES;

SPECIFICATION foriningpart of Letters Patent No. 297,718, dated April 29, 1884.

Application filed August 2, 1883 i (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STILLMAN W. ROBIN:

soN, of Columbus, county of Franklin, State of Ohio, haveinvented an Improvement in Ma- Boots or Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention has for its object the production of an organized machine by which to drive fastenings having the properties of those made subject of United States Letters Patent No. 265,149, dated September 26, 1882, and to set the same after they have been driven and before they are cut from the strip or wire. The strip or wire from which the fastenings are cut resembles in cross-section a flattened wire the curved edges of which have sections of annnlar ribs or threads and intervening notches or grooves, as therein shown, leaving elevated sharp ribs or threads between the grooves. The machine the subject of this patent is provided with mechanism to firmly hold or grasp the strip or wire, force or drive its end into the leather or material to the proper depth,- give the strip or wire-substantially a quarterturn, and then out off the strip or wire next the surface of the sole or in a channel, the short piece of the strip or wire inserted and so cut off constituting a sole-fastening, and herein the length of the fastening is automatically determined according to the thickness of the stock. By partially rotating the strip or wire the end of which has been driven into the stock just before the strip or wire is out off, the sharper ribs or threads at the curved edges of the strip or wire are made to cut into a portion of the stock next to the wire, which, when the strip was driven into it, was not directly acted upon and abraded or torn by the wire. The machine hasdevices by which to feed the stock along as it is operated upon.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents in side elevation a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents details of the strip holding and rotating spindle and means for turning it; Fig. 3, a detail of the stock-feed= 5o ing device; Fig. 4. a section along the dotted line a: as, Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a partial section and partial elevation of the working-head and its parts, looking at it from the rear side of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a section on the dotted line yy, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a section taken across the spindle and the throat-piece, to show the projections thereon which operate the levers to drive the cutters; and Fig. 8 shows in side elevation andsection a piece of a strip or wire such as I prefer to employ. v

A is the main framework, supported on suitable legs, A.

A is the rotating horn or work-support;

and A its pivotor post, fitted to bearings 2 2. r

The axis of the post A isin the line of the axis of the strip or wire rotating spindle B, and is free to rotate, and also free to slide, so that the horn may be raised and lowered or swung around to the right or tothe left, as usual.

Just below the lower end of the post A is a wedge-piece, A, which may be slid in guides B, to raise the horn into proper working position, or to lower itfor the removal of the work therefrom. The wedge Atis operated by the footlever B having two pins or rests, B B, one pin being adapted to come below and the other above the foot, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the said lever may be'worked both ways, to raise or lower the horn positively at the pleasure of the operator.

The main shaft 0 of the machine, (see Fig. 4,) drivenin any manner common to nailingmachines, has a crank-pin, C, adj ustably connected therewith by the pointed adjustingscrews 0 and by turning the said screws the crank-pin may be adjusted in position with relation to the center line of shaft 0, to enable the crank pin to move the pitman more or less at each rotation of the shaft 0. The crank-pin C receives upon it the l-shaped link C of a pi'tman or toggle-jointed link composed of the said link C and two narrow links, CO, connected with it, as shown clearly by the bolt 4. (See Fig. 4, where the said links are all shown in longitudinal section.) The lower ends of the links C 0* are. bored to pass over pins or ears 3, which project from the working-head Lil D, the movement of the said pitman by the crank-pin O reciprocating the said head. The length of the pitman O 0* may be adjusted by loosening the bolt 4 and moving the conicalpointed screw 5 backward or forward. The workinghead D within its lower end has an annular cavity, 6, (see Fig. 4,) into which enter the points of the screws 7 7, and also into which enter the shanks of the grippers a a, the latter traveling about in the said grooves fora short distance as the spindleB is partially rotated, the grippers, when their shanks are brought against the said screws, beingforced in toward the center of the working-Mad D, and grasping the strip or wire w with sufficient force to drive its end into the stock. The strip or wire 10 will be placed in the passage at the center of the spindle B, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 4. The grippers a a are held in longitudinal slots 8 of the spindle B. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 4..) The crank-pin G and pitman 0 C act to raise the working-head D, sleeve D, spindle B, and the parts carried by the spindle always to a certain definite point above the horn or work-support, and the working-head D always descends to a definite spot, so that the point of the strip or wire to grasped by the grippers a a is forced down to a certain predetermined positionas, for instance, so that the end of the said strip or wire meets the horn or work-support when the latter is in its most elevated or working position.

The working-head D, made as a cylinder, is cut away or slabbed, as it is called, at front and rear, or at opposite sides, to form two flat faces to lit a slot in the sleeve D, which is fitted to and slides in the bearings D D, the exposed cylindrical edges of the working-head left after slabbing also fitting the bearing D. The longitudinal slot or mortise made in the sleeve D for the reception of the workinghead D is longer than the latter, so that the working-head may reciprocate in the said sleeve for a distance equal to or in excess of the length of the fastening used in the thickest stock. The fastening is cut from the wire' 10 after it is driven.

The lower end of the sleeve D constitutes the presser or nose, which rests on the stock when the end of the strip or wire 10 is driven into it, and near its lower end the said sleeve has ears which receive the pivots 10 of the levers E, which carry or reciprocate the cutters E E, employed to cut a fastening from the strip or wire. The sleeve D, or that part of it which slides in the bearing D"', is cut away or notched to form projections 12, upon which rests the forked end of a lever, (Z, pivoted at d, and acted upon by an adjustable spring, (1, which normally presses the sleeve D downward upon the upper end of the working-head D with a force equal to the full force of the said spring, except when the lower end of the said sleeve rests upon the stock, it in turn resting on the horn A". YVhen the shaft G is rotated, the pitman (J G reciproeates the working head D with a uniform, constant stroke, and the latter, as it rises, acts upon the portion 12 of the sleeve D, lifting the latter with it fora like distance, and unless obstructed by the stock the sleeve D will descend in unison with the said working-head. The working-head D and sleeve D do not rotate. If the horn is in its normal upward position and the working-head and sleeve are in their lowest position, the nose of the sleeve will just touch the horn.

Vith the parts organized as stated, if a piece of leather be placed on the horn, the nose or lower end of the sleeve D in its downstroke will strike the stock at a point above the tip of the horn equal to the thickness of the said stock; but the working-head D will continue to descend, and the grippers a a, carried by it and in engagement with the strip or wire 10, located centrally within the spindle B, acting against the strip or wire at opposite sides, will carry the latter down with it, and drive the end of the same into the stock until the end of the strip or wire strikes the horn. It is obvious that the extent of throw of the working-head and its grippers a a may be made more or less, so as to clinch the end of the strip or wire on the horn, should it be desired to do so, or to terminate the end of 9 the strip or wire a little short of the horn and the face of the stock thereon. Arresting the sleeve D at the surface of the stock and mov ing the working-head D down the full throw of the crank-pin 0 makes provision for stock of different thicknesses, and as every length of strip or wire driven is ultimately cut off at the surface of the stock, it will be seen that the fastenings inserted in the stock will be of different lengths, aceordin g to variations in thickness of the stock. The thicker the leather the sooner the sleeve D will be stopped in its descent, and the greater the length of strip or wire which will be driven into the stock. After the strip or wire has been driven into the stock, it is given a quarter-turn or rotated for about ninety degrees to bring the ribs or threads of the edges 13 of the fastening against and so as to cut into parts of the leather or stock, which, when the strip was driven into the same, were next the smooth or flattened sides 14 of the said strip or wire, the ribbed or grooved parts of the strip thus being made to cut into the smooth portions of the stock and hold the same firmly. The strip or wire 10 is given a quarter turn through the action of spindle B, made of two semitubular halves extended through both the sleeve D and the head D. The spindle B at its upper end has connected with it acol- 125 lar, a", having an arm, a", provided with a pin, a, whiclrreceives the link I), attached to the end of lever I), pivoted at 15, and having a roller, b, which enters the groove 0 in the cam G. The collar a is secured to the spin- 130 dle B by a pin, 16, carried by the collar and entering a groove in the spindle. The sleeve D, having a hook, 0*, attached to it (see Fig. 4) by a screw, 0, is provided with a hole for the IOO eijie. 7 a

passage of the strip w, of indefinite length, and

- serves as a stop to prevent the spindle B from rising in the sleeve D.- The rotation of the spindle B for a quarter-turn effects the partial rotation of its throat-piece 17, located within the spindle B, and having an opening corresponding substantially in shape with the crosssection of the strip it being used, thus causing the said throat-piece to grasp and turn the strip w with it, the throat-piece 17', by sup porting the wire on all sides, preventing buckling and acting on the strip as a wrench acts on a nut when turning it. The throat-piece 17 is held in place in the spindle by the pin 18, and is made removable in order that the spindle may be provided with a throatpiece having an opening of the size and shapeof the strip or wire which is being used.

To enable the throat-piece 17 to be removed from the lower end of the spindle andobviatc removing the grippers a, it is made in two parts or halves, as in Fig. 2; and topermit the grippers a to slide in the slots of the said throat-piece and not be pinched or held too tightly, the contiguous parts of the throat-piece are separated by plates or shims 27 28, a little thicker than the grippers, and located, respectively, a little above thehighest point of ascent and the lowest point of the descent of the grippers a. (See Fig. 2.) \Vhile the working-head D descends after the sleeve D has been arrested the spindle B occupies such a position withrelation to the screws 7-that the shanks of the grippers a rest against the said screws, and the said grippers hold the fastening-strip it firmly; but as soon as the cam G operates, as described, to partially turn the spindle B, which is done as soon as the end of the strip has been driven into the stock for'the proper distance, the shanks of the grippers a are moved annularly away from the screws 7 in the annular channel of the workinghead D, enabling the said grippers to release the fastening-strip. Just as the grippers a release the strip, the grippers I) catch and hold it while the grippers a and the working-head D make their upstroke. The grippers b are placed loosely in the slots in the spindle, and at their upper ends the grippers are cut away to rest within the ring 6, which prevents the grippers from being drawn entirely out from the said slots.

To operate the lower grippers, b b, to grasp the strip w at the proper time, a ring, 6, is provided, having a conical recess at its lower end, (see Fig. 4,) which surrounds the upper portions of said grippers, and acts upon the inclined outer edgesv of the same as the'said ring is forced down by metal strips 6 e, (see Figs.

2 and 5,) extended through longitudinal passages in the spindle B and acted upon at their upper ends by a spring, 6

WVhen the spin- .turned, as described, to release the grippers a, the'spring 6' passes off the block e*, and immediately operates the said strips 6 and ring to cause the grippers b to take hold of the strip or wire it. The grippers aa are fitted to slide in longitudinal slots in the spindle B and throat-piece 17 for a sufficient distance to enable them to hold the fasteningstrip while it is being driven into the stock. The grippers a and the slots in the throat-piece in which they work are thinner and narrowrr than the width of the strip. to thus enable a greater part of the throat-piece to practically touch the body of the strip, and prevent the same from buckling under strain, as it would be apt to do if the slots were wider.

, To cut off the strip or wire after its end has been fully inserted into the leather, and after the strip has been rotated a quarter-turn, the cutters E are closed upon the strip or wire by the levers E. These cutters, sharpened at their inner ends and fitted to slide in channels formed for them in the sleeve D or its nose, are screw-threaded at their outer ends to receive adjusting-nuts 21 and 22. The nut 21 has two flanges, between which is a groove, which is entered by the lower forked arm of the lever E. Each lever E is acted upon by a suitable spring, e to retain its upper bent end in position to be acted upon by a projecjust as the spindle B completes the turning of the wire in the stock.- A A To'feed the stock over the horn, a feed-bar, g, is provided, having serrated teeth to engage the edge of the stock or sole. This feed-bar g has its rear end bent down through aslotin a slotted guide, 9, and is provided near its forward end with a pin, g". The upper side of the feed-bar has a pin, g which is acted up- IIO on by the lower freev end of a flat steel spring,

the upper end of which is fastened to a rigid partof the framework, the said spring acting normally to move the feed-bar toward and keep it against the stock, and the feedbar down upon the guide. The-forward part of the feed-bar is engaged by a link, h, connected with the lever h, having an adjustable fulcrum, h by which to vary its throw, the upper end of said lever entering a hole, h, in the lever [2 before described, the movement of which actuates the feed-bar. During its feeding movements'the feed-bar moves about its downwardly-bent end as a fulcrum. The forward movement of the feed is limited by the pin g guide 9, are extended through slotted holes in the same into the standard A.

. H is a lever by which to move the guide and place it in proper position to vary the distance of the fastenings from the edge of the stock.

The spindle B, composed of two parts, has its lower end held together by a ring, a.

The projection a of the feed-bar, extended over the sole toward the operator, serves as a gage for the bottom of the shoeto move against.

The mechanism for driving the fasteningstrip might be employed to drive a strip into the sole of a boot or shoe held by a jack of usual construction, so by the term support for the stock I mean to include not only a horn, but also a last on ajack.

The spindle B is described as though made in two halves; but it may be made in one piece with a groove at its center for receiving the fastening-strip w, the throat-piece 17 being let into a suitable opening at its lower end.

The wire or strip 10 will be supplied from a suitable reel. (Not shown.)

I claim- 1. In a nailing-machine, a support for the stock, the nniformlyreciprocated workinghead and the spring-prcsscd sleeve carried thereby, and the spindle therein and its grippers a, adapted to engage the fastening strip or wire,and to drive the same into the stock, the grippers acting to drive the said strip or wire into the stock after the sleeve is arrested in its downward movement, substantially as described.

2. The uniformly reciprocating workinghead, the spindle provided with grippers to engage the fastening strip or wire, and the sleeve to receive the spindle, and adapted to be lifted with the working-head and to descend therewith until arrested by the stock on the worksupport, combined with the'screws or projections 7, carried by the working-head, to act upon the grippers a and force them toward each other, to grasp and drive the strip or wire into the stock, substantially as described.

3. The work-support and the working-head and its grippers. both working in unison with an unvarying length of stroke, combined with the reciprocating sleeve 1), spindle B therein, and grippers b b, the latter having a varying stroke determined by the thickness of the stock, all cooperating to insert the fastening strip or wire, to insure the production of a fastening therefrom in accordance with the thickness of stock being operated upon, substantially as set forth and described.

4. The spindle B and its throat-piece 17, having an opening or channel corresponding in cross-section with the cross-section of the fastening strip or wire, combined with means, substantially as described, to partially rotate the spindle, the latter turning the strip or wire with it, as set forth.

5. In a nailing-machine, the combination of mechanism, substantially as described, to drive the end of the fastening strip or wire into the stock, with the grippers to engage and partially turn or rotate the driven strip or wire after its insertion into the stock, whereby the grooved edges of the strip are enabled to cut into portions of the stock, untorn or abraded by the grooved edges of the strip or wire when being driven into the stock, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the working-head, sleeve D, partially-rotating spindle B, grippers a a, and adjusting-screws 7 7 with the grippers b 1), ring 0, bars 6 6', block 0, and spring 0 as described.

7. The combination of the spindle B, grippers b b, and ring 0 with vertical bars 0 c, to operate the said ring and grippers, substantially as described.

8. The working-head D and sleeve D, combined with the lever (Z and spring to act upon and press the nose of the sleeve upon the stock, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the partially-rotating rod and projections f thereon, and levers E E, for operating the cutters, as described.

10. The working-head, sleeve, and spindle B and grippers a I), combined with the levers and cutters to cut off the driven wire next the stock, substantially as described.

11.. The combination of the feed-bar y with the bar 5/, having a slot at its back end and a pin, at its front end, as and for the purpose described.

12. The work support and the spindle through which the fastening strip or wire is extended, and means, substantially as described, to reciprocate and to partially rotate the said spindle, combined with grippers to engage the fastening strip or wire and drive it into the stock to hold and partially rotate the strip or wire in the stock, as set forth.

13. The hereindescribed method of uniting pieces of leather, which consists in forcing into the same a wire, portions of which are grooved or serrated, while other portions are smooth, and thereafter partially rotating the said wire in the leather and cutting off the wire, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

STILLMAN \V. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

JNO. \V. KINSELL, ORLANDO E. LEWIS. 

